Right Time, Right Place, Wrong Person
by patricia51
Summary: Why is Ted so elated to see Stella? One possible scenario and it has nothing to do with them getting back together.


Right Time, Right Place, Wrong Person by patricia51

(This may be rushed as I want to get it done and posted before the next HIMYM episode comes out to either prove what I think should happen on that street corner or convince me that the writers have lost their minds.)

(2030)

"But never forget that on any day you can step out the front door and your whole life can change forever. You see the universe has a plan kids, and that plan is always in motion. The butterfly flaps its wings and it starts to rain. It's a scary thought but its also kind of wonderful. All these little parts of the machine constantly working, making sure that you end up exactly where you're supposed to be exactly when you're supposed to be there."

"The right place at the right time."

(Present Day)

Ted stared at the woman standing beside him. He blinked his eyes and shook his head as though to he was trying to shake himself out of a bad dream.

"Hi Ted," whispered Stella.

His face screwed up as though he was trying to translate those two simple words from some arcane forgotten language into English. Stella looked at him with uncertainty and a bit of worry.

"Ted? Are you alright?"

His face cleared as though he had finally decrypted a secret message.

"Stella."

"Yes, it's me." The rain pelted down harder but neither of them seemed to notice it. They simply stood there, looking at each other.

Stella cleared her throat and tried again.

"How, how are you doing Ted?"

"I'm doing well." He paused. "I just got fired recently."

"Oh I'm sorry." She moved as thought to touch his shoulder again, then stopped with a pained look on her face as he stepped back slightly.

"No it was good. I've started my own architecture business now."

"That's wonderful."

Ted didn't feel any need to say anything more. He simply looked at Stella, who shifted back and forth from one foot to the other.

"Ted, can we talk?"

"About what?"

"About what happened to us."

"I already know what happened to us Stella. We were going to get married and on our wedding day, hell, at the wedding itself you ran off with someone else."

"Ted, I need to explain that.

"Stella, there's no need. It's really not important anymore." He started to turn away. She grabbed his arm.

"Please Ted. I'm sorry. If I could go back in time and change it I would."

"But you can't," observed Ted.

"No, but can I try to make things right now?"

"Why?" Stella looked baffled. "I mean, what's the point Stella?" He stopped and thought and his eyebrow lifted. "What, things not going well with old Tony?"

She looked away and Ted knew he was right.

"Lucy misses you," she said, unable to meet his eyes. "And so do I."

"And I miss her. I miss her falling asleep as I read her a bedtime story. But I'm not the one who took that away from her. You did."

"Ted, PLEASE. I made a stupid mistake and I know I hurt you. But isn't there some way to get past it? I care for you, more than I realized, more than you know. Don't you have any feelings left for me? For you and me, for us?"

"No," Ted replied. He considered what he just said, "No," he repeated, this time sounding surprised at his answer. His eyes brightened and a smile broke over his face. "No, it's all gone. I thought there would be some feelings left over. Hell, I thought there would be a lot of feelings left over. But there isn't. For the first time I realize it." The smile turned into a broad grin. "I'm over you!"

Stella's eye filled with tears and she nodded. Ted sobered for a moment.

"Hey I'm sorry. I wish this didn't bother you. I hope you and Lucy will be happy. Really. But this whole thing wasn't my choice and now it's not my problem."

"I know," she said softly. "I had thought that this whole thing was arranged somehow, meeting you like this. But I guess it wasn't."

"Maybe it was Stella, but not for the reason you think it was." He smiled at her. "Take care. Goodbye Stella."

"Goodbye Ted."

(2030)

"Because somehow I ended up in the right place at the right time. And as a result my life would never be the same."

"I don't understand Dad. How did this moment change your life?"

"Sweetie, if I had never met Stella again I might have been haunted by her memory for the rest of my life. I had loved her even though she had hurt me terribly and I still had feelings for her. I thought so anyway. Even after I followed her to her new apartment in the city that night and saw her and Lucy with Tony and realized they were family I had clung to a fantasy that she would come back to me one day."

"And then she did."

"Yes son and that meeting freed me from the ghost of our past relationship. I was able to stop looking back and go forward. Forward to the time that I would meet your Mother, fall in love with her and marry her, unburdened by any lingering doubts that I otherwise might have had about Stella and what could have been. Instead of 'what might have been' I am blessed to have what IS; your mom and you two, the most important people in my life."

"Dad, what happened to Stella?"

"No idea. I never saw her again."

(The End)

(This is hurried and a bit out of left field but I honestly don't see what else the point of their meeting could be. I just can't believe that Stella is the Mom; that they are getting back together. And if it's just a simple "Hi how are you? I'm good. Great, I'm good too. Bye" situation than why the wild jubilation from Ted? I guess we'll find out. Thanks for reading.) 


End file.
